The Sequel to NanashiThe Untold Story
by Maruchan LE
Summary: Like the title says, the sequel to Nanashi The Untold Story. But for those who haven't read Nanashi-TUS, don't worry about it. This story doesn't come directly after the first one. It takes place in the year AC 197 and Mendel is working alongside the Prev
1. Peacful Reunion

Hi there! I've been meaning to write down this story for eternity. It's the sequel to Nanashi-The Untold Story, but don't worry, if you haven't read Nanashi-The Untold Story, then don't worry about it. It really doesn't come directly after my first story, even though I still call it a sequel. In fact, it takes place after Endless Waltz, but my main, favorite character is much older now. Mendel Noin, Trowa's savior, and guardian for three years, will soon meet with him again. So, if you've read my first story and you're wondering, what happens next? Will Mendel succumb to her gunshot wound she got when defending Trowa? Will Trowa ever see her again? Then this is the story for you!  
  
Prologue  
  
Mendel Noin is Lucrezia Noin's older sister. When she was 16, she was shot defending a little boy she called Nanashi. Her new friend, Naomi, nursed her back to perfect health, but she could never heal the scar Mendel got when she lost Nanashi. Mendel decided to leave for the colonies in the year AC 190, the same time Trowa left for the exact same reason. In the year AC 197, Mendel chose to work as a nurse helping out the Preventers. The Mariemaia Incident, as they now call it, forever changed Mendel.  
  
"Those gundam pilots are so brave, so strong. I want to see them, I want to help them. So that I may be proud of myself."  
  
Chapter 1 Peaceful Reunion  
  
Mendel awoke the next morning feeling anxious. Something's going to happen. Something bad. She swung her legs over her cot and walked out into the hall. Her head swung from left to right, the long tangled hair swinging freely, in a breeze? Mendel slowly walked down the hall; there was an air of suspicion, treachery. She seized her gun from her belt; that was one thing she knew everyone carried, even the mere employees. In time of an attack, everyone would be needed. Only once had she seen everyone carrying a gun, that was during a terrorist attack on the building. She wound around the corner, then froze. Footsteps slowly approached from the opposite end. Mendel took a few steps back, then raised her gun. A man wearing black walked right in front of her, then stopped as he to drew a gun. He didn't hear her. She slowly approached. The man still didn't seem to hear her. Then at the same time, they both faced each other, guns pointed at the other's head. Mendel looked at the man's face and then exclaimed,  
  
"Duo!"  
  
"Mendel? Hey what are you doing here?"  
  
Mendel rolled her eyes, "I live here."  
  
"Oh.right."  
  
"I woke up with a strange feeling this morning. I felt treachery in the air."  
  
"Oh there's treachery all right. Sally Po relocated the kitchen facilities, and she won't tell me where they are."  
  
Mendel laughed, "Is that why you're here?"  
  
Duo smiled, "Yep. So are you going to help me or not?"  
  
Mendel put her arm through his, "Of course."  
  
Even though Mendel is twenty-eight, she still likes to hang out with Duo. But he's the only gundam pilot who she can talk to or see. She has spoke with Quatre a few times in the past, but only on the intercom or the phone. Only once has she seen Quatre Raberba Winner, and that was when the terrorist's had attacked; he was checking to see if she was all right. Instantly she thought of him as the best gundam pilot, and her personal favorite; of course she would never tell Duo that.  
  
Mendel walked down the hall to the right wing with Duo beside her. A few employees walked by, but paid no real attention to them; of course with the exception of one Miss Naomi, who purposely ran straight into Duo. The gundam pilot did his best to avoid the oncoming assault, but Mendel pushed him right into the way of Naomi, as always, and Duo fell to the ground. Mendel and Naomi looked over him, then burst out laughing at his daily embarrassment.  
  
"Got you again, Duo Maxwell!" said the happy Naomi.  
  
"That's three months in a row!" Mendel shook hands with her friend and then gathered up the fallen gundam pilot.  
  
"One day I'll get you back for this, I swear!" Duo glared at the two ladies, then he to burst out laughing. They all were so loud that many people in nearby offices peered out their windows and shook their heads. They knew the daily ritual. They had to be put through the same laughing fit every single morning. Mendel, Naomi, and Duo headed to the left wing, all still giggling from the morning's onslaught.  
  
"You know, Duo, I know where the kitchen is." Naomi said slyly.  
  
"Well then where is it?" Duo stared at her.  
  
"Sally Po told me. It's on the west wing on the 17th floor. But the elevator's broken so you'll just have to walk up there."  
  
"Ugh. Oh well. Thanks Naomi. See ya later!" Duo yelled as he mounted the stairs leading to the 2nd floor. Mendel turned to her colleague,  
  
"I thought the kitchen was on the third floor."  
  
Naomi turned and a smile came across her face, "It is."  
  
Mendel looked at her, and they both laughed until the got to the lobby of the building. The Preventers building used to be a hotel, so there is a swimming pool, rooms, and of course, a hot tub. Mendel always called the lobby the main room. Naomi always asked her why, but when she did, Mendel would simply cast her eyes away and say nothing. Naomi flopped down on the nearest couch while Mendel searched the large library shelf for something interesting to read. She returned to sit next to her friend, a large book sitting in her lap.  
  
"What's that?" Naomi said, looking suspicious and curious all at once.  
  
"A dictionary." Mendel said flatly as she began to flip the pages. One by one the pages flew, until Mendel stopped and looked at a page with an illustration of Super-Man.  
  
"Ah yes, here we are. Hero: a man or boy admired for his bravery, great deeds, or noble qualities." Mendel looked up at Naomi.  
  
"They say Heero Yuy is a hero."  
  
"Yeah but he doesn't have noble qualities." Duo said behind the wide sofa.  
  
"Duo! That was quick!" Naomi said looking at her watch.  
  
"What do you mean, 'he doesn't have noble qualities'?" Mendel said, looking confused.  
  
"Heero's a good guy, he's just not the nicest person on earth, or the colonies." Duo turned to Naomi. "Hey good one!"  
  
"Thanks!" Naomi smiled. "But I couldn't have done it without my partner in crime!" Naomi said happily as she swung her arm around Mendel's shoulders. Mendel looked down at the book, trance-like.  
  
"I wish I could meet him." She said.  
  
"Who?" Naomi looked at her worriedly.  
  
"Heero."  
  
"Oh no you don't," Duo said looking at her. Mendel looked up at him pitifully. "Oh no, I'm not falling for that again." Mendel's bottom lip began to quiver and her eyes filled. "Oh, oh, okay! Okay! I'll introduce him to you as soon as he and Trowa get back from their recent mission."  
  
"What do they have to do?" Naomi said.  
  
"Just a few terrorists, that's all."  
  
"Oh." Naomi got up and walked over to the window. "Hey, Mendel,"  
  
Just then, the intercom sounded, "WILL MISS MENDEL PLEASE RESPORT TO THE WARD, I REPEAT, WILL MISS MENDEL PLEASE REPORT TO THE WARD."  
  
Mendel turned to Duo and Naomi. "Gotta go." She said as she rushed out of the room.  
  
She rushed down at top-speed all the way down one hall, then she took a sharp right, and headed down another hallway. By the time she got to the ward, she had successfully run into two other nurses, one janitor, and three employees.  
  
"What have we got?" She said as she slipped on her white lab coat.  
  
"Just one ma'am. A gundam pilot." Said a nearby nurse.  
  
Mendel froze, "A gundam pilot is injured?"  
  
"Yes." The nurse handed Mendel a roll of gauze.  
  
"Name?" Mendel took the gauze and rushed into the room before the nurse could answer. She slammed the door behind her and saw, a child?  
  
"You're the gundam pilot?" she said, looking puzzled.  
  
"Yes," Was all the boy would say. He looked at her, "have we met?"  
  
Mendel sat on the bed next to him. "Anything broken?" The young pilot shook his head. "Well at least tell me your name."  
  
"Trowa Barton"  
  
"Okay Trowa, well it seems that you're pretty banged up." Mendel went over to the table and picked up another roll of gauze.  
  
"I can see that." Trowa said dryly.  
  
"I'm afraid I don't treat smart alec patients." Mendel turned to him and thought, what the heck am I thinking? This is a gundam pilot! "Well, let's see what we're dealing with." Mendel walked over to him. "Please take off you're shirt."  
  
"What?" Trowa looked at her in disbelief.  
  
"Ugh, you're as stubborn as." Mendel stopped. She was about to say Nanashi, but no doubt Trowa would ask her all about it; then Mendel would have to tell the whole painful story all over again.  
  
"As stubborn as who?" Trowa asked.  
  
"No one. It seems to me that you have broken something. In fact you've broken a lot of things." She reached over to him and lifted up his arm. It gave off an awful scraping noise, and she set it back down. She expected to see pain, or at least discomfort in Trowa's eyes; instead she saw nothing. Astounding, it's like it doesn't even hurt him. That reminds me of Nanashi. He never complained when he would get hurt, he wouldn't even show it in his face. Trowa seemed to read her mind.  
  
"I guess you'll want to know if that hurt. Well it did."  
  
Mendel nodded absently, then got back to work. She steadily wound the gauze around Trowa's broken arm, as she did so she looked into Trowa's face. He was looking on, his face emotionless. Mendel almost forgot about his shirt. She got up and moved behind him. Mendel felt her hands. Good and cold. She bent down and lifted the shirt off before Trowa could even protest, and tossed it to the far end of the room. When Mendel met with his face again, she saw with satisfaction that it had indeed changed. It went from stiff neutrality, to an annoyed expression. He glared at Mendel as she pulled up a chair and looked at him.  
  
"You remind me. of a little boy I once knew." Mendel turned away from Trowa's curious gaze.  
  
"What was his name?" Trowa asked.  
  
"He didn't have a name. I found him when he was only a baby." Mendel stood up and walked over to Trowa, then sat on the bed next to him. She slowly and lovingly wound the gauze around his bruised and beaten chest.  
  
"You don't have a family," Trowa began, but Mendel cut him off.  
  
"Yes I do. Lucrezia Noin is my younger sister, and Duo and Naomi are my best friends."  
  
"Your Lucrezia Noin's sister?"  
  
"Yes. For many years I thought she was dead. I have no other family, if that's what you mean." Mendel continued to wrap the gauze around Trowa. He looked up into her eyes and said,  
  
"I have no family either, except Catherine and the other gundam pilots and Sally Po, and.Miss Noin." Trowa crossed off his long list of allies and friends in his head. Mendel never met his gaze until now. She looked deeply into Trowa's beautiful emerald green eyes, and saw a hidden kindness; a kindness that someone else has taught him, that someone, he will never forget. She pulled away from her slight trance and turned back to her work thinking, what if I could bring out that kindness once again. He seems to know Lucrezia, but I feel very comfortable in his presence, like I know him.  
  
"Then you know Duo." Mendel slowly began to wrap the gauze more tightly.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Naomi and I always play tricks on him every morning."  
  
"So I've heard."  
  
"Well did you know that Sally Po relocated the kitchen facilities?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"She didn't tell Duo where they were. He went looking for it."  
  
"That's Duo."  
  
"We tricked him into walking seventeen flights of stairs."  
  
Trowa said nothing, but just continued looking out the window.  
  
"How did you get like this?" Mendel asked.  
  
"Long story."  
  
"Oh." Mendel could already tell that Trowa was not a talkative person at all. She was merely trying to make him laugh, but instead he seemed to just get more annoyed. Mendel almost jumped when someone knocked on the door. Mendel opened the door to a rugged looking man in a white lab coat.  
  
"Mr. Toji! What are you doing here? I thought you were taking Naomi out to lunch!" Mendel said looking surprised. She and Naomi had both had their eyes on Mr. Toji for a long time, but then again, so did every other girl did who worked at Preventers HQ.  
  
"I came to check up on you Miss. Noin." Mr. Toji said as he pulled a chair up from across the room.  
  
"If you don't mind, Mr. Toji, I'm kind of in the middle of something right now." Mendel reached over to the table sitting next to her and pulled up another roll of gauze from the drawer. "Do you know Mr. Yuy?" Mendel began to roll the gauze around his broken arm once again.  
  
"Who?" Mr. Toji and Trowa both asked at the same time.  
  
"Oh you mean Heero!" Mr. Toji looked at Mendel and smiled.  
  
"Huh? Heero? Yes I know him." Trowa looked behind him where Mendel was casually wrapping now the rest of his back.  
  
"What's he like?" Mendel asked Trowa.  
  
"He's hard to describe."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Well I'll leave you two love birds alone." Mr. Toji said as he stood up and left the room. Mendel and Trowa both looked at each other. Mendel blushed and Trowa cleared his throat. Then both fell silent as they looked into each other's eyes.  
  
"You remind me of Nanashi." Mendel said.  
  
"You remind me of Mendel." Trowa said.  
  
Mendel's breath failed, she was speechless. A lump slowly developed in her throat. As for Trowa, he was feeling the exact same thing. Trowa bent over to her. A small tear crept down Mendel's cheek. Trowa wiped it away almost instinctively. She reached out and hugged him, and then there was an exchange of pure love. Mendel wept; and with every stuttering gasp Trowa would hug her more tightly. At last they parted. Mendel finally found her Nanashi.  
  
"I thought you were dead." she said.  
  
"I thought you were dead." Trowa looked straight into her face. "I'm glad your not."  
  
"Me too."  
  
"Are you finished?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then let's go."  
  
Mendel left the room first, then followed Trowa through the massive building. She never took her eyes off her Nanashi, and he only did when he was leading. Soon they both approached a large door. Trowa opened it and revealed a large control room, with spy cameras everywhere, and four young people sitting at large table in the middle of it all. One of those people was Duo.  
  
"Duo!" Mendel cried happily as she ran toward him.  
  
"Mendel? Hey what the heck are you doing here?" Duo looked surprised and annoyed at the same time. "Your not supposed to be here!"  
  
Mendel looked around the table, two familiar faces, two not-so familiar faces. She turned around, and one I know very well. She smiled. Trowa smiled back. Quatre stood up,  
  
"Mendel?"  
  
"Yes? Oh! Hello Quatre!"  
  
"Hello. Trowa what is she doing here?"  
  
"She wanted to see Heero."  
  
"What!?"  
  
"Come on Mendel," Trowa motioned to her, and she followed. He pulled out a chair and Mendel sat down. In front of her two boys sat, the other two gundam pilots, she found out. The one on the right, with his hair pulled back, was Wufei Chang. He stretched out his hand and Mendel shook it courteously. Then Trowa introduced the other boy, Heero Yuy. Heero didn't outstretch his hand like Wufei, he only nodded. But it didn't bother Mendel at all; she didn't like shaking hands either.  
  
"I've been wanting to meet you for some time, Heero." Mendel looked up, then straight at him. She found that it was hard to look at Heero in the eye, and yet, she couldn't pull herself away from the empty stare. Duo suddenly jumped up and got between them both.  
  
"Hey Mendel, you're not supposed to be here. This is top secret." Duo stared hard at her. Mendel looked at him. Duo instantly turned his gaze away. She couldn't understand it. He never acted like this before.  
  
"Duo?" Duo turned back to her, then shrugged and sat back down. Something's wrong. It had been wrong since this morning when Mendel woke up.  
  
"What's up?" Mendel asked.  
  
"We've got a problem." Quatre said, never meeting her gaze.  
  
"And we need your help." Heero said.  
  
***to be continued*** 


	2. Dangerous Plans

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!! I just finished looking at my story on the internet, what a mess!!! I had to clean up the whole thing, then replace the chapter. UGH!!! ;_;  
  
I do not own Gundam Wing I do own the character Mendel Noin  
  
Chapter 2 Dangerous Plans  
  
"You need my help?" Mendel looked from one face to the next.  
  
"Yes." Heero answered and looked up.  
  
"Okay, so.what's wrong?"  
  
"Well.Vice Foreign Minister Dorlian is being held hostage in the Sanc Kingdom. I've come up with a plan to stop the terrorist's from detonating a nuclear weapon also."  
  
"Soooooo, this is what you do in your spare time." Mendel turned to Duo, and then to Trowa. "Hey. wait a second. Trowa, YOU'RE A GUNDAM PILOT!?" Trowa stared at her and Quatre cleared his throat.  
  
"Right, well I was about to explain the plan." Mendel cut him off.  
  
"Oh of course! Please go ahead." "Well, first Trowa get's into the monitor room, and sends a dummy image to the monitor screens. It's dangerous, but only you can do it." Trowa turned to him.  
  
"I don't mind. I'm good with tight ropes." Mendel looked at him, puzzled. He only smiled slightly. Quatre continued,  
  
"Meanwhile Wufei and Sally take the ransom money over."  
  
"And I get killed by Duo, who's pretending to be a berserk soldier." Sally said. Duo smiled and said,  
  
"Sure, that'll cause a riot!" Quatre's face became serious.  
  
"The timing is crucial. Wufei must get away." Wufei looked up.  
  
"I know that." He said, and looked amazed at himself. Mendel glared. She didn't like anyone talking to Quatre that way. Duo smiled and winked as he said,  
  
"Want me to use real bullets?" Wufei smiled evilly and said,  
  
"Hmph. I might end up killing you first."  
  
"Wufei will remain in the castle," Quatre went on, "and meet me as I get through the basement. We'll wait in the underground shelter. Duo will be confined as a rebel.so we'll hope that Relena and the others will be there too." Heero looked unsure about this. He stared at Quatre and said,  
  
"And if not?"  
  
"That's why we've prepared the fake Wing Zero. You'll pilot it and say you've come to bring them under control. They'll probably say something like, 'W-wait! We have a nuclear weapon! You'll be killed too!' And you'll say something like, 'So what? That was my girl. It's not worth living anymore.' When they hear that, they'll run to the nuclear shelter." Wufei cut in,  
  
"They might not take the hostages to the shelter."  
  
"Then we can lock them up in the shelter and save the hostages at our own leisure."  
  
"Okay, perfect!" Sally exclaimed happily.  
  
"Alright, let's go!" Duo said.  
  
"Hold it Quatre." Mendel said.  
  
"Is there something wrong with the plan?" Trowa stared at her.  
  
"No, no. The plan is exceptional. But, have you ever thought about the terrorist's actually detonating the nuclear weapon?" Quatre turned to her, a look of astonishment on his face.  
  
"What I'm saying is that you have planned ahead, but not enough. The part where Duo is confined? If they're so violent, then why wouldn't they just kill him? And Trowa, the terrorists are sure to catch on to the dummy image thing. And Quatre, how will you get into the kingdom without them knowing it? The shelter that they will probably hide in, I bet it has a switch that detonates the bomb. Someone has to go in under cover and stop them when they go into it." She glanced slyly at Trowa.  
  
"Oh no, you are not going." Trowa turned away from her. She stared hard at him.  
  
"Yes I will."  
  
"No, you will not!"  
  
"Yes I will!"  
  
"NO YOU WON'T!"  
  
"YES I WILL!"  
  
"NO YOU WON'T!"  
  
"YES I WILL!!!" Mendel and Trowa were both red in the face. Trowa unclenched his teeth and said softly,  
  
"Haven't you been through enough already?" He proceeded to walk over to the window and looked out it.  
  
"Trowa," she cooed, "I have a sister, and I have you. There's no reason for me to die." Trowa stared hard at her, then nodded. He knew that there was no way of defeating her in a fight. He sighed and sat down. Mendel sat next to him. She smiled even though she knew that she would not live through this. Quatre declared that they leave now, and so they did.  
  
Mendel sat beside Trowa on the far end of Duo's car. Duo drove like mad all along the many back roads that no one ever took until they came to a fork in the road. "Foiled." He said with clenched teeth. Mendel looked ahead. There were two airport signs. One said 'to' the other, 'from'.  
  
"Go right." Mendel said. Duo nodded and drove all the way to the airport. They all stepped out of the car only to be greeted by two men in strange outfits. Mendel instantly became suspicious. She hissed in Quatre's ear,  
  
"Who are those guys?"  
  
"Oh! They are members of the Maganac Corp. I'll introduce them. Mendel, this is Rasid and this is Abdul." Abdul smiled and Rasid said,  
  
"So happy to meet you, miss Mendel." Mendel smiled.  
  
"Nice to meet you too." Rasid and Abdul both escorted all of them onto a small jet. Rasid took the controls while Quatre took the co-pilot's seat. Trowa made sure his seat was right behind Quatre's while Mendel Sat next to him. Duo sat directly behind them, and Wufei and Heero sat behind Rasid. The jet taxied, then slowly took off. Abdul came from a back seat and whispered in Mendel's ear,  
  
"Are you Master Quatre's girlfriend?" Quatre, unfortunately, heard this and blushed, but waited for her to answer, and she did.  
  
"Oh.no. I'm just giving him and the others a hand in their new mission." Everyone stopped. Rasid looked at Quatre, who was smiling weakly.  
  
"Uh.no.it's not like that. This isn't a mission at all. We're just going to go visit Miss Relena, that's all." Quatre looked down. He hated lying, but he had to do it to ensure Rasid's and Abdul's safety. Rasid looked at him. He could tell he was lying. Not just because of his face, but because he was a horrible liar. How could they see Miss Relena when she was being held hostage in the Sanc Kingdom? He smiled and winked at Abdul, who was about to protest. Abdul closed his mouth and walked to the back room once again. Trowa looked out the window. He was slowly bringing back to memory all that happened when he lived with Mendel. She taught him how to fight and defend himself, and how to play the dented flute that she used to have. He laughed to himself when he remembered what she said to him once. 'It's best not to talk much. You live longer.' Is that why he doesn't talk much?  
  
"Hey, what's so funny?" Mendel looked at him.  
  
"Remember when you told me 'It's best not to talk much. You live longer'?" Mendel smiled.  
  
"Yes. What was I thinking?"  
  
"Hey! I bet that's why you don't talk much, eh Trowa?" Duo said brightly.  
  
"Maybe." Trowa said, returning to his usual neutrality. About eight hours later, they arrived in an airport one mile away from the Sanc Kingdom. They all disembarked. Mendel, Quatre and Duo all waved good-bye to Rasid and Abdul while Trowa, Wufei and Heero simply nodded. The jet once again roared to life and it took off into the bleak night sky. They had chosen the evening to proceed with their plans because it would be a lot harder to sneak around the Sanc Kingdom during the day. Mendel instantly stopped dead in her tracks. Trowa turned and looked at her.  
  
"What's wrong?" Mendel simply put her finger in front of her mouth; by this time the rest had noticed Trowa's absence and also turned around. Mendel ignored all of them as she slowly crouched to the ground. She motioned for them all to do the same. Voices were heard arguing far away. Trowa was surprised. The voices were very quiet, and they all had to strain just to hear, though Mendel had heard it perfectly. Heero suddenly covered his head with his hands and the rest observed that Mendel had also done the same. Suddenly, the first man threw a small egg-shaped metal thing their way. The two men drove off in haste as the bomb exploded. All the gundam pilots and Mendel were covered with smoke. Then another explosion issued, and then another. The explosions kept on coming until Mendel slowly rose. The smoke was thick and it seemed to billow from the ground.  
  
The ground! There's smoke coming from the ground! Mendel thought.  
  
"We've been set up!" she coughed. Soon the smoke cleared. Mendel gazed around only to find.  
  
"NO! They're gone!" Mendel became frantic. What happened to them? "TROWA! QUATRE! HEERO! DUO! WUFEI! Where are you?" In her mind she knew from the start that they had been set up. All of it.a trap . She knew it in her mind. This was a setup so that they could get to her.  
  
Well, at least I know who they are now. Stinking rebels, why do they continue to plague me? Well, I'll show them.  
  
"Okay! I give up! You can come out, I have no weapons." As she said that, many a soldier with their guns pulled came out of the shadows and smoke.  
  
"Ms. Mendel. we've been waiting for you." The first soldier said.  
  
"Good." Mendel did a back flip and took one soldier down. At the same time she took his gun. The other men began to fire.  
  
Amateurs. Mendel stepped back and then threw a grenade at them. The men yelled and scattered, just as it exploded.  
  
"Heh, just as I thought. A bunch of cowards." Mendel smiled in spite of herself, then went to work. She reached the man's uniform and tore it off, slipping it over her own clothes.  
  
Man! How can they work like this? This thing weighs a ton!  
  
Mendel panted as she slowly buttoned the top. Then, it felt light.  
  
"Oh." she said, looking funnily at the strange suit. Mendel shrugged and then proceeded to entering the base. She went at a run, following the guards. She soon caught up to them. Mendel instinctively changed her voice to that of a young man's.  
  
"Hey! What do you think you're doing, leaving me behind like that?"  
  
I hope this works.  
  
"Sorry Neja, we thought you were knocked out." The nearest soldier said.  
  
Ha ha! They fell for it!  
  
"Well I wasn't, couldn't you tell I was acting?"  
  
"Neja, listen, we've caught the gundam pilots."  
  
"Excellent! This is all going according to plan."  
  
"What plan? I thought that getting the pilots was just luck."  
  
"Oh.right."  
  
Busted.  
  
"You know, you never did have a good memory." Mendel clearly reinstated this by scratching her head.  
  
"I've been forgetting a lot of things lately. Sorry."  
  
"That's all right, Neja, as long as you're willing to help us kill that annoying little brat Mendel." Mendel's face reddened.  
  
"Yes. I will help kill Mendel." All the soldiers stopped when they came to a large beautifully carved door. The entrance to the Sanc Kingdom. Mendel stepped in lightly, then went about to finding where the gundam pilots were. She first went to the control room.  
  
"Naja? What are you doing here? Get back to your post!" The soldier said. Apparently he had been working for a long time and was getting cranky.  
  
"I have been reassigned to watch the gundam pilots, sir."  
  
The man growled.  
  
"And so why are you plaguing me with your incompetence?"  
  
"I don't know where they are being held."  
  
"They are being. used right now. Or at least one of them. Anyway, they are positioned in the west wing in the third door to the right. Now, do you need me to get Baja to grab your stroller for you or can you make it all by yourself?" Mendel once again became red. She wished she could punch him, but then her cover would be blown and she would also be confined.  
  
Later. She told herself.  
  
"Thanks." She said dryly. The man laughed cruelly after her as she left. His shrieks of laughter hung in her mind until she neared a door.  
  
Third door to the right, west wing.  
  
She opened the door, only to be greeted by a guard who was barely armed and half asleep. He rose with a start.  
  
"Naja! Oh. what are you doing here?" Mendel paid no attention to him, as she was curiously looking around the room. She counted one head that was relaxed and down, one head that was erect, but relaxed; another head that held an annoyed expression, and the last, who seemed about to bite her head off.  
  
One, two, three, four. where's Quatre?  
  
"Where is the last one? The Winner boy?"  
  
"Oh. him! They're running a few tests on him." Mendel could hardly speak; thankfully, she was a good actor and found that she could look triumphant. The guard seemed pleased with this, to Mendel's despair.  
  
"I'm going to be taking over from here."  
  
"Oh good! I'm beat. See ya!"  
  
"Night!" She called cheerfully after him. When she shut the door, Mendel breathed a sigh of relief. Instantly Wufei blurted out,  
  
"INJUSTICE! INJUSTICE!" Mendel smirked at him. She liked him better this way. Now if only she could find some duck-tape.  
  
"So.what are you going to do with us?" Duo said, quite annoyed.  
  
"What have you done with Quatre?" Trowa asked calmly, yet a hint of panic resided in his voice. Mendel looked at them all, then said,  
  
"I have no idea." Trowa's eyes widened.  
  
"Mendel?"  
  
"Hey there. Oh, by the way Wufei, I won't save you if you continue to yell at me." Wufei reddened immensely and muttered to himself,  
  
"Women. Nothing more than a plague to all men."  
  
"What was that?" Mendel asked sweetly. Wufei humphed and turned away. Mendel smiled as she casually searched the room for a surveillance cam.  
  
"That's strange." Mendel said lifting up a wrecked surveillance camera for them all to see. She shrugged and then pulled out a knife. Slowly she began to cut away at the ropes that bound Trowa.  
  
"We have to get Quatre." He said. Mendel looked painfully up at him.  
  
"I know." She tossed Trowa a knife and they both began to untie Duo and Heero. When Mendel got to Wufei though, she stopped.  
  
"You know, I think I'll let you stay here. No use in having a useless man who will only get in my-"  
  
"WOMAN!"  
  
"Okay, okay. No need to yell." She smirked as she untied him. Wufei jumped up and turned to face her,  
  
"WOMAN! IF YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN-" Mendel instantly yelled right in his ear,  
  
"STOP CALLING ME WOMAN! I HAVE A NAME YOU KNOW!"  
  
Mendel looked quite pleased at the blinking Wufei. She stepped to the door and said, "You guys get out of here. I'll go and get Quatre." Trowa started,  
  
"But,"  
  
"No Trowa. I already blend in. These guys are no smarter than Wufei here." That was it. Wufei lunged at Mendel while Duo and Trowa tried to hold him back.  
  
"JUST WAIT WOMAN! I'LL GET YOU! YOU'RE DEAD!" Mendel coolly walked up to him and slapped his face.  
  
"Hold your tongue, 'man'." She spun on her heel and triumphantly walked out the door.  
  
*********** "Mrs. Johnson, is the pilot ready?" A woman in a white suit answered,  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Good. Now let's get to work." Dr. Narks and Mrs. Johnson walked over to a table where a struggling Quatre was bound.  
  
"What do you want with me?" He glared at them all.  
  
"We'll be asking the questions here, Mr. Winner." Dr. Narks said coolly.  
  
"I don't mind having a conversation."  
  
"Fine." The doctor turned to his assistant and nodded. Mrs. Johnson turned and presented a tray to him. He took a syringe and made sure there were no bubbles in it.  
  
"Hey-" Quatre started, but was cut off when the syringe hit his skin. Instantly his limbs felt heavy and light at the same time.  
  
"Get up." Dr. Narks said. Quatre obeyed and sat up. Mrs. Johnson smiled.  
  
"It worked. He's ours now." Both smiled at each other for their success.  
  
**********  
  
Mendel slunk around the castle grounds. Unsure of where to go, she caught up with two soldiers off-duty.  
  
"Hey, did you guys hear what their doing to that gundam pilot?"  
  
"Which one?"  
  
"The Winner kid."  
  
"Oh, well.between you and me, their holding him up in that room there," the soldier said pointing to a three story window which was dark on the inside. "I don't know what exactly they're doing to him, but I'm sure glad that it's not me."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" The soldier didn't answer her question for he was called to his post. Mendel growled and went to work trying to get to the building. She passed many a soldier who looked at her curiously, but other than that, no one really paid her much attention, which she was grateful for. She walked all around the building, but there was only one way in, and it was heavily guarded. No one was allowed through, not even the colonel. Mendel began to get frustrated.  
  
How am I going to get into that place? I mean, come on Relena, the least you could think of was an escape route. Mendel's eyes became wide.  
  
"That's it!" Mendel circled around the building once again, then noticed on the eastward side that there was an escape route. I was a simple door. So simple that it was easy to miss. The door itself was a masterpiece of disguise. There was no frame, and it was painted the exact same color as the walls. The brick pattern was brilliantly painted on to match also. Mendel opened the door only to be greeted by about fifty people at least. They all glared at her. One of the soldiers hailed for her to come over. Mendel walked over to the front. There a few soldiers greeted her warmly. She looked on in the crowd. Her eyes grew wide as she gasped. It was Relena Peacecraft. She was angrily death glaring them all when she walked up to her.  
  
"Ms. Relena!" She whispered, "My name is Mendel. I'm here to save you." Relena's face lit up.  
  
"You are?"  
  
"No.of course I am! That's what I just said. Heero's here. They were being held up and I,"  
  
"Heero's here? Is he alright?"  
  
"Yes, yes. He's great. Listen, come with me." Mendel grabbed her hand and silently dragged her out of the hidden door. They both tromped across the extravagant lawn up to the west wing.  
  
"Where is Heero?"  
  
"Don't worry, we're almost there." Mendel looked one way, and then the other. The front door of the building where the gundam pilots were being held had a guard at the front. She stepped behind him as he exclaimed,  
  
"Naja!"  
  
"Shhhh! Hold your tongue if you value your life." With that, the soldier became quiet. He casually let Mendel and Relena pass. The two women rushed up the stairs and barged into the room where the pilots were.  
  
Troooooowa! I'm back! And look what I've-" She suddenly stopped. Dead frozen, her jaw dropped.  
  
"Wha.how." Mendel was at a loss for words. All five of the boys were on the ground and bloody. Quatre was staring at them all. His eyes were filled with hatred. They no longer held the happy boyish shine that they used to.  
  
"Quatre.what are you doing?" But Quatre wasn't listening. Somehow, he had gotten hold of a dueling sword and jabbed it at her. Mendel leaped out of the way just in time, and he lunged again.  
  
"Hey! Stop it! What do you think you're doing?" Qautre drove Mendel all the way straight into the corner. Her eyes grew wide as Quatre aimed straight for her heart. She looked around for a way out. Instead she saw a second dueling sword across the room. He lunged and she ducked. Mendel then ran with all her might towards that sword; but Quatre had soon caught on. He pulled out a gun and shot blind. Most of his shots missed but one hit her in the arm. Mendel collapsed to the ground, barely catching the sword with her injured right arm. She lay there, as cold and still as stone, when a feminine voice behind Quatre said,  
  
"That'll be enough, Mr. Winner." Quatre, who was looming over Mendel stopped and dropped his sword as he fell to the ground. Mendel looked up.  
  
"N-Naomi?"  
  
***to be continued*** 


	3. Betrayed

I do not own Gundam Wing I do own the character, Mendel Noin and Naomi.  
  
Chapter 3 Betrayed  
  
"N-Naomi," Mendel stuttered in her surprise. "I-I thought you were my friend." She stopped when she saw Naomi bending down toward her. She was holding a syringe. Mendel tried to get up, to fight her off, or at least to get away. She found that she instinctively drew her gun and pointed it at her new found enemy. Naomi only smiled. "I can kill any of the pilots whenever I want to. Including this one." She pointed to the unconscious Quatre on the ground. "Pathetic." She emphasized this by kicking Quatre in the ribs. "S-stop.it!" Mendel fought back her desire to just lose consciousness right there and then. "What have.you.done to h-him?" She couldn't do it. It was to hard fighting back the blackness that threatened her. "The same thing I'm about to do to you." Naomi lifted the syringe. Mendel in turn, fought and managed to hold Naomi's hand. But Naomi knew just what to do. She turned and drew her gun, firing right at Trowa, hitting him in the shoulder. He instantly woke up and looked at them both. "M-Mendel? Naomi?" He stared at the angry Mendel, to the maniacal Naomi, who was holding a syringe. "Naomi, what are you doing?" Trowa sat up and slowly made his way over to them. "Stay back! Or I'll shoot!" Naomi lifted the gun and aimed right at Trowa's chest. But he didn't care. Mendel was in trouble, and he wasn't just going to sit around just because he's being pointed at with a gun. He's been in this same situation before. If he moves quickly enough, he can surprise her and take her gun. "No! Trowa get back!" "No, Mendel." "You're going to get hurt!" just as she said that, Naomi fired again, hitting Trowa in the leg. "No!" Mendel cried out, tears streaming down her cheeks. "No! Naomi, please stop! Stop!" Naomi raised her gun when Mendel pulled her arm down, thrusting the needle into her arm, and at the same time, throwing off her concentration. Her gun went off, but Trowa didn't get hit. Instead Mendel was thrust into darkness.  
  
Where am I? What is this place? It's so cold. What's that light? It's in front of me. Darkness. All around, darkness. Please! Anybody! Help me! Get me out of here! I'll do anything! Anything? Yes, yes, as long as you get me out of here! Will you obey my every command? Yes! But please, get me out of here! Please! Please! Help me! Alright.  
  
Mendel awoke to bright lights in a small room. Looking around, Mendel noticed that Naomi was sitting next to her. She had gotten her out of the darkness. Mendel opened her mouth to speak, to say thank you, but nothing came out. Naomi noticed her, and said, "I want you to locate and destroy the gundam pilots." No! I could never do that! You made a promise. Yeah, but. She got you out of the darkness. But I can't just kill them! A promise is a promise. I can't breathe! You made a promise! Let go of me! You made a promise I.can't. You made a promise. You're killing me. You made a promise No. Yes. Yes. I made a promise.  
  
Mendel tossed and turned even though she was awake. She had to kill the gundam pilots. After all.a promise is a promise.  
  
Trowa roused himself. Standing up, he saw all the other gundam pilots still on the ground. Quatre was in front of him. He began to try to rouse him. "Hey.Quatre. It's me. Trowa." Quatre looked up at him, he narrowed his eyes, which were completely out of focus. "T. Trowa?" "Yes." "T-Trowa." Quatre fell once again into unconsciousness. Trowa shook his head. "What have they done to you?" Heero roused himself next, then went about to waking up Duo, a little to harshly. "Hey man! I'm only asleep, not dead." Duo stood up and looked at them all. His arm was a little bloody; so was everyone else's. Wufei woke up next, and shouted bloody murder at them all. "INJUSTICE! INJUSTICE!" Duo saw that his arm was also bloodied in the same place. "Hey, isn't that weird? We're all hurt in the same spot." Heero looked at him, then at his own arm. "Huh." Duo looked at him, frustrated. "Well I thought it was strange." "It is." Trowa said calmly. "We were all sedated. I twice." Everyone stared at him. "You woke up." Heero said flatly. Trowa nodded. "What did you see?" "Mendel and Naomi at each other's throat." "Hn." "Naomi was obviously trying to sedate Mendel also. She did something to Quatre." "Naomi? Are you sure?" Duo looked worried. He remembered how that morning, or was it? Was it yesterday? How long have they been here? He mentally shook himself, then proceeded to tell the other pilots about that day, whenever it was. "You know, before we left, Mendel told me that she woke up with a feeling of treachery. Now I see. Naomi's betrayed us." He finished his sentence with a triumphant look on his face for finally understanding something before the other pilots did. Wufei muttered something that sounded like, "We already knew that Maxwell. Always takes you the longest." Duo looked at him. "WHAT WAS THAT? ARE YOU QUESTIONING ME?" "That's right." A dark voice came from the open door. "Mendel!" Trowa smiled at her, while almost everyone else fell on the floor. Trowa cleared his throat and said, "Mendel, what happened?" "Never mind that. I'm fine now." Trowa looked at her, then narrowed his eyes. Mendel could sense his suspicion. "What's wrong Trowa? Don't you believe me?" "No, I don't." Duo walked over to Trowa and said, "Come on Trowa! She probably had a bad time and doesn't want to talk about it." Just then, Mendel collapsed to the ground, holding her head and moaning. No that's not it! A promise is a promise. Yes.No! You promised. Yes.yes I did. Mendel got up and saw Trowa looking at her with a worried look on his face. "You see? That horrible woman tortured me! And it's all your fault!" She pointed to Trowa. "You dragged me into this!" she then buried her face in her hands and erupted in a fit of fake sobs. Trowa put his hand on her back, but Mendel brushed it away as if it was on fire. Jumping to her feet, she glared at the pilots, who all looked very confused. "I hate you. I hate you all!" she ran out of the door and out into the hall. Shivering, she collapsed again. No! Stop it you demon! I won't kill them, no matter what! Yes you will. Do you want to go back into the darkness again? No! Please, no! Then kill them quickly. Can't you see? They are all unhappy. You will give them eternal happiness by taking their lives. Yes.yes I see. To make Trowa happy, I'll end his life. Yes.  
  
Mendel stood up and walked back to the room. "Oh Trowa, I'm so sorry. That woman is somehow controlling me. If you keep me alive, I'll kill you." Trowa looked at her, his eyes wide. Looking down, he outstretched his arm with a gun. His face was set as he aimed at Mendel. "Goodbye, Mendel." "Goodbye, Nanashi." Trowa dropped his gun and looked away. "Trowa." Mendel started, but stopped when she saw Trowa's face. "Why? Why are you doing this? Why?" Trowa's face was a mixture of astonishment, anger, and remorse. Mendel looked away. She couldn't face him. "I'm sorry. I." Trowa turned around and walked away. Mendel suppressed the want to hug her knees and cry. "Trowa." "No." Trowa didn't want to hear her. He never wanted to see her again. Why couldn't she just leave? I'm only hurting him. Oh why did I do that? You can always take his life and end it all right now. Aren't you mad at him? Mendel collapsed to the ground. "No! Leave me alone! Just go away!" Trowa still didn't turn around. "You were right Trowa! But please, please help me!" Trowa still didn't move or show any sign of doing so. Mendel let out a piercing scream as she collapsed to the ground. Did Trowa ever turn around? I hope he didn't. You idiot! Why didn't you kill him? Why don't I just kill you? Just try.  
  
Mendel shivered on the ground. She let out another piercing scream. Finally, after five minutes of tossing and turning, she stopped. Her whole body turned pale, as the life was slowly drained out of her. Heh heh. I told you. I wouldn't have had to kill you if you didn't listen to me. You.lied.to me. I don't care now that you're about to die. YOU LIED TO ME! Wha- A PROMISE IS A PROMISE EH?  
  
Let go of me- I'LL SHOW YOU PROMISE! I PROMISE TO KILL YOU! No- YES!  
  
Trowa finally turned around. "Mendel?" All the pilots were staring at her. Trowa walked over. His face suddenly went pale. There was Mendel. Was she dead? Heero answered his question as if he had read his thoughts. "She's still alive.barely." "We have to get her some help." Duo said, lifting up Mendel and handing her gingerly to Trowa, who took her willingly. Mendel's eyes slowly opened. "T.Trow.a." Trowa looked at her, a great pain in his eyes. "Yes, Mendel." "T.Tro.wa.Rele.na.needs.help." Heero stopped dead. "Relena," He thought for a second, and then nodded to the other pilots. Mendel smiled weakly at Trowa. "Tro.wa.please.help.her." "But, what about you?" Mendel only smiled again and laughed weakly, saying in a hoarse and quiet voice, "Forget.about.me.forget.that.I'm hurt.Re.lena.needs.you're.help.now.put.me.down." Trowa almost jumped at this sudden command. He tried to protest, but couldn't after the way Mendel looked at him. In her eyes he saw love. Not pain or hatred. Love. She loved him like her own son, like a younger brother. Trowa blinked several times and gently laid her down on the ground. Mendel smiled. "Thank.you.now.get.out.of.here." Now it was Trowa's turn to smile. "Right." He signaled for the other pilots to follow him down the hall. Mendel heard their quiet but hasty footsteps dying away in the dark hall. She slowly sat up. Her chest stung but she ignored the pain, and instead looked around the room for Quatre. "Quat.re?" She heard nothing. Mendel tried again. "Quatre?" It seemed the more she talked, the better she got at it. "Quatre? Quatre.where are you?" Mendel tried standing up, but to no avail. She only succeeded in falling down again. "Oww! Haven't they ever heard of carpeting? Man," Looking up though, she saw that Quatre wasn't around. Fear struck through her. Where is he? Is he alright? What if he went after Trowa and the others? What if he's still in this room, waiting to hunt me down? Well, this is a pleasant train of thought. Oh yeah. Option 1: Quatre Could have lost his mind and went after the others. Option 2: He could still be here, waiting to kill me. Oh yeah. This is just great.  
  
Trowa, Heero, Duo and Wufei rushed down the hall to the outside courtyard. They each split up and went about to fulfill their tasks. Duo stalked every soldier, looking for the one that was his size; or at least, close to it. And I must say, being Duo, trying to find somebody of the right proportions is very hard. Meanwhile Trowa went about trying to find the control room. Heero stood by in the fake Wing Zero in case it was needed; slowly he counted the seconds that went by. Wufei contacted Sally to make the drop off while he made his way to where Quatre would have been. The plan was going quite smoothly, except for the fact that Heero received a call from Trowa. "Yeah?" "The control room is too heavily guarded, I can't get in." "I don't see that being an issue with you." "There are about fifty guards surrounding the door, Heero. Even I have my limits." "Try to find another way in." "I've already scanned the whole area, that's the only way in." "What about a window?" "They're all boarded up." "Go find Mendel." "Why?" "She has a copy of the floor plans of The Sanc Kingdom." "Roger." Trowa turned a dial on the radio to warn Wufei. "Wufei? This is Trowa." "What do you want?" "Where are you?" "At the designation point." "Get out of there. I couldn't get into the control room." "Roger." Wufei stuffed the radio and looked around for a way out. Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching. Cursing to himself he turned and ran the other way. Wufei stopped under a high window. The footsteps were coming closer; he had to get out of there. Slowly he jumped up and caught hold of the sill. Wufei hoisted himself up safely onto the cold damp grass. He could hear the voices becoming agitated, then they left. "Trowa," he said to himself. "You've been around women to long."  
  
Mendel was starting to feel the after effects of whatever Naomi did to her. She felt dizzy and tired. All Mendel wanted to do now was lay down and sleep. She heard something rummaging around the room. A blurry figure stood up and walked over to the cabinets. She heard whomever it was groan. Mendel did her best to try to make the person out. The body pulled something out and slowly walked over to her. Then, the person's face was clear as it was hung over her. "It's you-!"  
  
***to be continued*** 


	4. A Mission

I do not own Gundam Wing I do own the characters Naomi and Mendel  
  
Chapter 4 A Mission  
  
Duo walked on into the night, past two large buildings, and straight into one of the largest. He was welcomed as 'Baja', apparently whoever this 'Baja' was, was very important. Stationing himself at the front, Duo noticed that Sally wasn't there. All of a sudden, a woman's voice called from behind,  
  
"Hey you guys! They're going to bring over the ransom money!" Duo whipped around and saw Naomi holding a walkie-talkie, looking triumphant. He looked happy but on the inside, he was sure they were all waist deep in something they shouldn't be. Naomi turned to him.  
  
"Baja, I'm going to go attend to some. annoying business. Take care of things from here and, don't kill anyone. Do you hear me?"  
  
"Yes ma'am!" Naomi smirked and then walked out of the door.  
  
"Quatre!" Mendel gasped. "Get away!" She screamed and tried to get away. Quatre pursued her, holding a syringe. Mendel shivered in a corner when a familiar voice hit her ears.  
  
"Mendel?" Slowly she opened her eyes. She saw Quatre, but he was different. Not the Quatre she saw before, but the Quatre that she knew.  
  
"Quatre? Quatre is that you?"  
  
"Mendel. Are you alright?"  
  
"That all depends. What do you consider 'alright'?"  
  
"Certainly not what you are now."  
  
Mendel let out a hoarse laugh. Quatre smiled and then moved over to her arm.  
  
"Here. This will help."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Quatre slowly pushed the fluid in the syringe into her arm. Mendel felt like a light lit in her head. Instantly she felt better.  
  
"Thank you Quatre. But, what was that?"  
  
"A mental stimulate."  
  
"What?!" Mendel's mouth dropped but Quatre simply teased her by smiling. But she couldn't be mad at Quatre for very long, for she too succumbed to his warm smile and followed him out the door.  
  
They both walked for a while, eventually going their own ways to accomplish their mission: to save the Sanc Kingdom and its inhabitants.  
  
Trowa stumbled along on his way to the control room. Strangely enough, there were no guards in the room when he got there. He then sat on the floor and set to work. Stripping cables here and there, reattaching more wires in places that he had memorized. Trowa was trained to have half of his attention always on his work, and the other half on his surroundings; but right now, he concentrated all of his attention on the wires in front of him. Slowly, a tall figure loomed behind him. Trowa didn't hear the person until it was too late. A dark laugh filled the room as Trowa fell to the ground and was engulfed in darkness.  
  
Mendel stepped slowly over to the large door in front of her. The oak wood was gorgeously carved with many a floral pattern, surrounding an attack dog and a sheep dog. A thought passed through Mendel's mind.  
  
Hmm.I see it! This door was just built. Apparently Relena had it specially hand carved to look like this. The attack dog, that's Heero. And the sheep dog, that's Relena.  
  
Mendel smiled as she pushed open the door and passed the threshold. An air of suspicion passed through the air. She shivered. Something had happened. Something bad. Mendel's pace quickened as she searched for the bomb shelter. She stopped when she saw a large metal door engraved with the words,  
  
Emergency Bomb Shelter  
  
"Gee, I wonder where this leads." Mendel sneered as she opened the door. A woman in a lab coat holding a syringe greeted her in the dark.  
  
"Nice to see you made it.Mendel Noin." Mendel gasped as the needle broke skin and she plunged into blackness once again.  
  
Quatre pulled out his walkie-talkie and instinctively punched in Trowa's coordinates. "Trowa! Trowa do you read?"  
  
"Quatre Raberba Winner, if you ever want to see Trowa again, come to building 336. See you there." The radio buzzed eerily as Quatre rushed to where Heero was.  
  
"Mendel.Mendel." Trowa suddenly awoke to find himself chained to a wall.  
  
"Ah.good to see your awake, Trowa Barton." Naomi snickered as she stepped out of the shadows.  
  
"Something's not right. This isn't like you. This isn't like you at all!" Trowa spat. Naomi only turned away.  
  
"I need Mendel.now. I'll pay you anything if you go get her!" Naomi pulled out the key to the chains that bound him.  
  
"Never." Naomi was overcome with rage as she hit him on the cheek.  
  
"Tell me.Tell me now! Tell me where Mendel is!"  
  
"No."  
  
And with that Naomi drove her fist into his gut. Trowa coughed.  
  
"So, you gundam pilots do feel pain. I would have never guessed." Naomi walked over to a table and casually sat on top of it. "Well, I guess you're not willing to work for me hm?" A smile crept across Trowa's face.  
  
"Good guess."  
  
"Don't you be smart with me!" Naomi's face turned from a pale peach to a burning red. "I know where Mendel is. I can have my most trusted colleague kill her anytime I want."  
  
Trowa froze. Then, he laughed.  
  
"Do you think that I'll believe that?"  
  
Naomi stared at him. "Of course I do. If you don't believe me, try this." Naomi pulled out of her pocket a small remote control. She pointed it at the wall and a large vid screen popped up, showing Mendel unconscious and strapped onto a bed. Naomi turned around and smiled.  
  
"You see?"  
  
"That's not what I'm afraid of."  
  
"Why not!?"  
  
"Because I know that you are a good person. At first, I thought that people were good, and people were bad. That is, until Quatre made me realize that everyone is good on the inside." Trowa stared up at Naomi, who in turn looked angry.  
  
"I know that you're good inside."  
  
"You say that Trowa was abducted?"  
  
"Yes. I've tried calling Mendel too."  
  
Heero looked at him.  
  
"And?"  
  
"No answer." Quatre sat down on the grass next to Heero.  
  
"Heero, I think that I'm." Quatre looked away. Heero could sense what Quatre was feeling though.  
  
"It's alright, Quatre." Heero stood up and walked over to the Wing Zero. In turn, the great metal giant rested its cold gaze upon him.  
  
"Quatre."  
  
Quatre was startled at those sudden words.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Where is Duo and Wufei?"  
  
Quatre responded by pulling out a small hand held computer. He typed in their code and an electronic map of the Sanc Kingdom popped up on the screen.  
  
"Mendel is close by Trowa but.she's moving. She seems to be alright. Trowa isn't moving. Duo and Wufei are.together?"  
  
Heero looked up at him. "What?" Quatre handed him the small computer. "No. Something's not right."  
  
Heero stood up and turned around. A dark figure stood before the two young boys. Heero reached for his gun but a needle hit his skin. In the dark he could see Quatre struggling to fight back, but he too fell to the ground. Both of them were unconscious. The man pulled out his walkie- talkie.  
  
"This is Jera. I've captured the last two gundam pilots."  
  
Naomi answered.  
  
"Good."  
  
Mendel lifted her head up in the blackness. She wasn't tied down at all. There was someone beside her. She squinted in the darkness, trying to see who it was.but to no avail.  
  
"Hey.wake up." Mendel began to shake the body furiously. "Wake up! Wake up!" But her desperate cries remained unheard in the never-ending misery of the dark.  
  
"Oh. I hate this! I hate you Naomi! I hate you!"  
  
And then, something happened. Mendel didn't exactly no what caused it.but all of a sudden.she began to cry. Silent tears flowed down her cheeks as she looked on into the bleakness of her despair.  
  
"Me.Mendel?" A voice called out to her. A hushed, pained voice.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Mendel.are you.all right?"  
  
Mendel recognized that voice.  
  
"T-Trowa?"  
  
"Mendel."  
  
Mendel struggled to get up.  
  
"Trowa, where are you?"  
  
"I'm.not.not sure. I think.that I'm in.a corner." His voice trailed off as he struggled to gain his breath.  
  
"Trowa hold still and try not to talk."  
  
"O.okay."  
  
"Trowa! Ugh." Mendel smiled in the darkness at the fact that Trowa never really did listen to her. She moved her hands blindly in front of her as she tried to look for the nearest wall.  
  
"Darn it! Man.how big is this room anyway?"  
  
She decided that it was safe to put her arms down for now, but just as she did so.  
  
"Owww!!!"  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Trowa, I thought I told you."  
  
"Yeah.I know."  
  
"But, just if you're interested, I hit my head in the wall!" Mendel did a fake sniff and sob to keep both of their spirits up. At the far end of the room, a soft echo of laughter could be heard.  
  
"There!" Mendel cried as she ran with all her strength to the farthest end of the room. The darkness, though, never seemed to stop.  
  
"Is there no end to this? Trowa, I'll never find you-"  
  
And with that Mendel tripped on something and fell to the ground.  
  
"Found me." Trowa coughed.  
  
"Owww. Yeah.I guess I did. Ouch."  
  
Trowa bent over with his arm outstretched. His hand moved over to Mendel's head and he stroked her face.  
  
"Mendel."  
  
"Trowa.please.try not to speak."  
  
"But Mendel.I want you to know."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Mendel.I love you."  
  
Even with her heart in pain and fear almost overtaking her, Mendel managed to smile.  
  
"I love you too.Trowa."  
  
Naomi was watching the screen irritably.  
  
"They're both frightened, I can see that. And yet."  
  
She cocked her head as she looked at the image of the two people who love each other as if they were brother and sister; sitting side by side, constantly comforting one another. And how Naomi longed to have a person to love like that.and to love her back.  
  
"I hate you Mendel!" She yelled at the screen before turning to the soldier standing behind her.  
  
"You know what to do. Kill her and the boy.Trowa. Leave the rest."  
  
"Yes ma'am!" Jera turned on his heel, gun outstretched, to eliminate Mendel and Trowa. The two obstacles in Lady Naomi's plans.  
  
***to be continued*** 


	5. Operation: Rescue

I do not own Gundam Wing.  
  
A few words before you read this:  
  
For those who like mushy stuff-you'll like the ending  
  
For those who like action-you'll love this chapter!  
  
Enjoy! ( ************************************************************************  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Mendel motioned to Nanashi, "Stay here and don't make a sound." Nanashi nodded obediently. Mendel stealthily moved through the shadows. Nanashi thought, and she freaked out when I told her I moved in the shadows. He looked over to where she was standing; face set, ready to strike at any time. She turned her head and looked at him; her eyes flashed like fire, and her face looked like something out of one of his bad dreams. She crept along, always alert, always ready for anything; that was how she was taught. Mendel lifted her head; a guard was at the front of the lieutenant's tent. She smiled, first target of the night. Slowly and silently, she crept up until she was about ten feet away from her prey. Then she jumped up and took the guard completely by surprise. She jumped up and behind the soldier, hitting him in the back of the neck; killing him instantly.  
  
The guard fell to the ground with a loud thump and noises were heard in the tent he was guarding. Mendel bent down and took the gun from the man's belt, and then headed into the tent.  
  
Nanashi watched Mendel as she entered the tent; after a while a loud yell was heard and then a gunshot erupted over the whole camp. Soldiers from everywhere rushed to where the lieutenant was. They opened the tent and one woman screamed.  
  
Lieutenant Berkeley was on the ground; he wasn't moving, "Lieutenant!" Naomi cried. Cadet Veradale leaned down to check his pulse; then shook his head.  
  
"He's gone."  
  
"But where's that kid?" a soldier asked.  
  
"She went out the back," another said, pointing to a large roughly cut hole in the back of the tent.  
  
"Naomi," cadet Veradale looked at her. She nodded, then left out of the back hole.  
  
As soon as Naomi was outside she heard voices. A girl and a boy were casually chatting under a tree not to far away. Naomi knew almost instantly who they were. She slowly approached the two. All of a sudden, the boy stopped talking and looked right in her direction. Naomi almost gasped and ducked behind a tree. The small boy leaned over and whispered something in the girl's ear. She nodded, then got up and headed to where Naomi was. Come on, Naomi hissed, Come on.  
Mendel stopped suddenly, Something's not right, that was too easy. She looked behind her and saw that Nanashi was shaking his head. Mendel took this simple signal as a warning and headed back.  
  
Naomi silently fumed behind the tree, and watched them as they walked away. She decided she would not let them get away alive. She drew her gun and fired.  
  
Mendel stumbled forward, gasping for air; she had been shot in the chest. She turned around only to see her greatest rival.  
  
"You-!" she was cut off by her lack of air. Naomi smiled evilly and kneeled down beside her. She drew her gun and aimed it at her head.  
  
"It ends here," she hissed. Nanashi jumped up and got in the way of the gun.  
  
"Get out of the way!" she yelled.  
  
"Nanashi, what the heck do you think you're doing?!" Mendel looked at him in disbelief; Nanashi said nothing, but he would not move. Naomi raised her gun.  
  
"NO! Wait, I can explain!" Mendel cried furiously. Naomi lowered her gun. She was grateful; she never wanted to kill anyone.  
  
"Nanashi, you know that place we went to earlier with all the rubble? I found you there when you were a baby." Nanashi turned to her, "But-"  
  
"No! Nanashi no! I just raised you. You're real family is dead,"  
  
"Dead?"  
  
"Let me finish. I'm not related to you, you're not even legally bonded to me. You could have left whenever you wanted to. but you didn't.you stayed," tears filled Mendel's eyes, "you stayed."  
  
Nanashi turned to Naomi. He looked into her eyes; and Naomi thought, this girl didn't mean to do what she did. She was simply defending herself and trying to stay alive. Now the reason she did this was to stay alive so that she could take care of this boy. I did this to her out of revenge; but now I realize that nothing can be accomplished with revenge; hatred will only result in bringing more hatred. She nodded and looked at her.  
  
"Can you stand?" she asked kindly.  
  
"I think," Mendel said as she picked herself up.  
  
"Take the boy as far away as possible; I'll keep the soldiers at bay." Naomi said turning to them, "You know; you probably won't live through this." "I'm aware of that." She snapped back, and then smiled. Nanashi looked up at Naomi,  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Mendel once again took his hand and led him down the road. They walked until they came up to a hill.  
  
"Go on Nanashi," she said, her eyes once again filling with tears, "On the other side of this hill is a camp of some sort. Now try to forget all of this as best you can." Nanashi nodded, "And from this day forward you have no name, okay?" Nanashi once again nodded, and headed up the hill, Mendel following him slowly. When she got up to the top, Nanashi was already at the bottom. A man there saw him and said,  
  
"Hey kid, what's your name?" Nanashi shook his head. "No-name, huh. come on. We can feed you at least." At that the man held out his hand and Nanashi took it. Mendel looked on, a silent tear slipped down her cheek,  
  
"Good-bye, Nanashi." She whispered into the cold night air. She turned around and headed down the hill.  
  
Mendel never saw Nanashi again; nor did she ever find out what became of him. But he always remained in her heart; and she never forgot his kindness and courage. As for Nanashi, he moved on to become the gundam pilot we all know today, Trowa; but he never forgot Mendel and the endless love she gave him.  
  
The End 


End file.
